Azure
by celestial-fire-angel
Summary: Seto is the CEO of a legitimate company, on the surface. He runs into a mysterious stranger who has ties in his underground operations. Who is he and why is he interested in Seto? SxYY
1. Chapter 1

Title: Azure  
Author: celestial-fire-angel  
Rating: T, for now  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

**Author's Note**: So...I'm back after a long hiatus! Who missed me? Just kidding! I have big plans for this story and it's only the first chapter so please bear with me! I haven't written in a long time so please excuse the many mistakes that I know are in here. Until I get a beta-reader, I'll try my best to keep from making too may grammatical errors! Please enjoy!

**Chapter 1:**

Its name was _Azure_.

The bar was definitely high class, not a place that just anyone could afford to get into; you needed deep pockets. He had been sitting in the corner in the dimly lit room, just observing.

From his seat, he had a good view of the entire place; himself, partially hidden behind a decorative plant. The front double doors were to his left, manned by two burly bouncers, who tried their best to look intimidating with buzz cuts and dark sunglasses. A soft snort escaped from him as he noticed the earpieces the two Arnold Schwarzenegger-wannabes. Secret Service wannabes was more like it. They were nothing more than hired muscle, valued more for their brawn than their brains.

There were a few regular patrons this time of the evening. It wasn't time yet. No, he knew that later this place would be packed. The owner was going to make an appearance here tonight. No doubt it was for publicity more than anything else not that the youngest owner in the bar's history needed anymore publicity or ego-stroking, which was bound to happen in a room full of bored individuals who had more money than they needed in their lifetimes. It was funny that despite all the money, they were still looking to expand their fortune and would kiss whatever ass they had to in order to do so.

It was amusing to sit in the bar, like he was doing now, and listen to the prattle coming from business owners' mouths about expanding, or somehow exploiting resources in less fortunate places. Or listen to bored trophy wives talking about how many mistresses their husbands were seeing and yet would not do anything about it since they figured a few women was little price to pay to remain married to the top one percent of the population. Money-hungry, gold-digging bitches. He knew better. In a few years, after the botox stopped working, after plastic surgery could no longer correct what nature intended, they would be cast aside in favor of someone much younger, more attractive. A cynical view for sure but it was true.

A hand reached out to caress the glass that sat obediently before him. The drink had only a few sips missing. As much as he frequented the bar, he wasn't much of a drinker. Mostly, he was only there to observe. It was his favorite thing to do, besides his other, more lucrative hobby.

It couldn't be long now. More and more people were filing in, dressed to impress. Designer dresses fluttered about as their owners flitted about making superficial greetings while being on the arms of designer-suited executives.

It was funny. Normally, he would want to be low profile, not stand out. Normally, he would stand with the rest of the crowd, just another face in the sea of black and white suits. He would be there, laughing at a lame joke an old geezer made. An old geezer with a gold-digging hussy, made up to look more like a doll than anything else, smiling a plastic smile that was far too practiced, on his arm. He would be there, sharing a drink, chatting mindlessly about the next venture he was thinking about trying.

However, this was not a normal circumstance. It was a chance.

He needed to stand out. If he wanted to capture attention away from the flock of vultures now forming little circles around the bar. Several already had a glass in hand; several already had multiple drinks and were becoming more animated. Amusing.

A smirk tugged at his lips but it turned into a full blown smile when he saw the doors open and the room became dead silent.

He was here. No one saw crimson eyes narrow the slightest bit, or the leather clad figure move from his corner seat.

* * *

The car parked right in front of the club and the chauffeur hurriedly went to open the door. He adjusted his tie one more time before stepping out. He did not want to be here. He could have cared less for the bar that was almost thrust upon him when the previous owner had insisted that he be the one to purchase it. Just to get the old man, who had also been a valued business partner, out of his hair, he agreed and now he was stuck with this place.

Why not sell it? It was in the contract the old man had signed when he sold it. Damn the old man. He wasn't sure if the old man was out to help him or get him.

Now, here he was, in front of the damned bar, ready to meet the patrons who had nothing better to do but kiss ass and beg favors when they needed it. He would much rather be back with his own people, running his own business. He didn't have the time to waste.

Who was he? Seto Kaiba.

He ran the largest technology company in the country. Well, that was true on the surface. His company, KaibaCorp, dealt with all the state-of-the-art advancements technology had to offer. They led the way with their holographic technology, now used everywhere, from personal handheld gaming devices to military strategy meeting rooms.

He had enough on his plate. After this, he would charge someone else with the responsibility for this place. At least he hoped the alcohol was good.

Stepping into the bar, he was immediately greeted with murmurs of 'welcome' and his name. Plastering his traditional bored look on his face, Seto walked through the throng of people, who had made a walk way for him. Several of the patrons, eager as puppies to please and win favor, reached out to shake his hand. His cold, hard stare made several of them shrink back.

His stare, however, did not work on the females in the group. They shamelessly threw themselves upon him. He was surrounded in a mess of silk and skin. Perfume assaulted his sense of smell in a horrible cloud that threatened to suffocate him. Large, eager, overly made-up eyes batted false eyelashes at him. Overly ample breasts were crushed against him or pushed up to try and gain his attention. Impersonal touches to his neatly cropped head of brown hair left minute shivers down his spine. A cacophony of unnaturally high voices murmured and whispered to him. He was not even going to try and decipher what was said to him.

He was in the bar for less than five minutes and already he could feel a headache coming on. He pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered how he would be able to survive this night. Not even his most frustrating partners could push his buttons like these women. Still, he had a reputation as a ladies' man to uphold. After all, reputation was everything. He had found this out from a very early age and he found out, in his years of doing business, once you destroyed someone's reputation, it was easy to buy them out. The easiest way to destroy someone's reputation: go after the fairer sex. He had his fair share of affairs with women of great influence. Once the scandal broke, their husbands were eager to fall under his company's umbrella. It was a harsh world and Kaiba played to win, using what was available to him.

It was good thing he was blessed with good looks. His long, lean frame was clad in a tailored white suit, crisp, clean, like virgin snow. His cobalt blue dress shirt hid his toned chest from the prying eyes of the women who clamored around him. His white tie lay in contrast to his shirt, a sort of guard to any fingers which might try to worm their way inside. He didn't put it past these women to try something like that, even with their husbands around.

"Mr. Kaiba! I'm Scarlet…"  
"I'm Claire!"  
"Jeannette."  
"Isabel."

Taking a deep breath, Seto turned to address the women. "It's wonderful to meet you," he said, lying through his teeth, but he had to turn on the charm. Some of them were married to high officials in government, which could work to his favor. He recognized some of them who stood around, talking amongst themselves of re-election, which bills they were about to vote on, complaints of their enemies trying to undermine their efforts.

Seto wasn't one to make mistakes but he made one when he tried to excuse himself from his female companions and was met with a chorus of whining about leaving them so early. It was going to be a very long night.

* * *

Crimson eyes couldn't hide the amusement when he saw the patrons surge towards the door. He knew who had arrived. Uncrossing his legs, he stood up. He would make his move soon. He made his way from his little corner to the bar. Dressed in tight leather pants and black tank top, which was covered by a black leather jacket, he certainly didn't look like the other patrons. If anything, his hair was vastly different. Spiked up, tri-colored, a mess of black, red and blond bangs wasn't what one normally thought of when thinking 'high class'. In fact, he looked rebellious, with his doubly pierced ears where little ankh earrings hung, spiked collar wrapped around a rather thin neck which seemed to be a set with a set of bracelets adorning delicate wrists.

Black eyeliner only seemed to make his unusually colored eyes much more mysterious. Even though crimson orbs were focused on the bartender, in his peripheral, he was aware of the young CEO. The pictures didn't do him justice. Not at all. The cameras never managed to capture the intensity of his blue eyes. No angle was flattering enough to compliment the much sought after physique. The only thing articles and pictures managed to get right was his reputation with the ladies as was evident the way the women practically threw themselves at the young CEO. Some of them were old enough to be his mother, he was sure.

He was also sure no one else saw the line of irritation that began to crinkle the CEO of KaibaCorp's brow. He did, though. He never missed the small details. They were the most important.

* * *

He had to excuse himself. Seto couldn't take much more. He wasn't a very patient man and even with these _lovely_ ladies, he found himself being short with them. He looked around, needing an escape. Anything at all. His eyes landed on a figure sitting on the far end of the bar. Unusual. The person sitting there didn't look like he belonged to such an establishment, if his clothes said anything. Still, there was something that piqued Seto's interest.

It was probably the fact that he hadn't come up with the others and fawned all over him. Interesting. So there was someone who wasn't interested in him and ready to kiss his ass as soon as he walked in through the door? How could that be?

In the middle of an oh-so-interesting story one of his companions was telling, he stepped away, ignoring the complaints, focused on the black-clad figure. As he strode closer, the other turned.

Blue met Crimson. Ice met Fire.

Very interesting indeed.

"Who are you?" No nonsense, straight to the point. It was Seto's style.

Crimson Eyes only smiled and didn't say anything, except to push the drink he had ordered towards the brunet.

"Are you deaf or dumb? I asked you a question." If there was anything that annoyed Seto more than nonsense, it was being ignored.

Still no answer. Seto let out a growl of impatience. "Bastard…"

It happened so fast that he hadn't seen what happened but the next moment, the smaller male had his tie in his grasp and used it to pull Seto down. He could feel the other's warm breath against his ear. In a voice that sent a different shiver down his spine, Seto heard his answer.

"Yami."

Just as abruptly, he was let go and the other male stood up, placing a few bills on the counter and walking away without another word.

Seto never saw the wide smirk that now adorned Crimson Eyes' face. Nor could he heard the thought going through the other's mind.

_Gotcha._

* * *

Author's Note: Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:_ Azure  
_Author: **celestial-fire-angel  
**Rating:** T, for now, will go up  
**Pairing:** SxYY, mainly

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Author's Note:** Hey, an update, in a week! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and to those who read this story. Please please review and let me know how I did. Reviews also keep me inspired so I might update more often! I'll try to update a chapter a week but don't keep me to that because I'm horrible at keeping deadlines~ Anyway, onto chapter 2!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_Tink….Tink….tink._

The rhythmic tapping of pen on glass was the only sound in the room. Behind a large black executive desk, the top strewn with important papers that needed signatures, covering even the keyboard to the large flat screen sitting to the right, sat one irritated, not to mention distracted, CEO of KaibaCorp.

_Two whole weeks!_ It had been two whole weeks since the incident at _Azure_ and Seto was no closer to figuring out who 'Yami' was. He had done a search on him; in his precious free time, he managed to enter the name into a database just to see what he could find. There was nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. As if the enigma that was 'Yami' didn't exist in society, only at the bar. That couldn't be it. It was a high class place. 'Yami' would need to have some source of income to even get a membership card. A rather high source of income. In fact, when Seto had read over the rules and regulations about the bar, he couldn't believe that the patrons would pay the exorbitant membership fee just to drink and socialize.

Even the bartender didn't know who 'Yami' was, despite having served him drinks before. All he could tell Seto was that he was there irregularly and ordered pretty tame drinks, if he ordered at all. If he did order, he never finished his drink. There was always at least half remaining in the glass. The bartender remembered that detail since it was unusual for anyone to leave anything in their glasses. No, even the privileged were sure not to waste good alcohol.

Blue eyes narrowed as his questioning of the bartender replayed in his head. The bartender had been useless. He needed a new bartender, one who paid attention to the important things! Seto stopped, his hand relaxed in its death grip on the pen and he pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't the bartender. Besides, the current bartender had been employed by the previous owner and was still on good terms with him. No doubt it would bring unwanted attention from the old man and Seto was definitely not looking to have anything else to do with that old man. He might end up with some other establishment he didn't want.

The intercom crackled to life, interrupting his thoughts and he shuffled the papers, strewn about his desk top, in some semblance of a pile and reached for the intercom button. "What?" he answered gruffly.

"Mr. Kaiba, your two fifteen is here." The voice of his secretary came through the other end.

"Meeting room A," was all he said before he stood up. He pushed all thoughts of 'Yami' to the back of his mind. He had more important business to attend, though it was clear that if he wanted to get more information, his best bet was to go back to the bar.

Why did the gods hate him?

* * *

He watched the crimson swirl down the drain, mixing with the water, turning the crimson into a much friendlier pink. The adrenaline was still rushing; his body was faintly trembling in the brightly lit washroom, where he was cleaning up. The job had definitely been messier than others. His body was sore, especially the places where ugly bruises were starting to form. He had slipped up and allowed it to happen. He hissed as warm water pelted his worn body. His mess of normally spiked black, red and yellow hair sat plastered to his face as he allowed the warmth to seep into him.

Closing his eyes, his mind flashed through the events that had happened. He had gone to _Azure_ again, one of the normal days that he stopped by for a quick drink and a quick chat. That had been at least a week ago. It was there he learned, from the bartender, that Seto Kaiba had been asking about him. It hadn't worried him the slightest bit. No one at the bar knew anything about him. He never revealed anything about himself. Even his name, 'Yami,' was just an alias he used. It was too dangerous to give out real information, especially in the world he lived and operated in.

After _Azure,_ he had made several phone calls to friends of his, the only people he would ever trust. All of them had gone through much during their short lives and it was through these trials that he and his group of friends had formed a bond that nothing could destroy. Not money, not prestige, not power, not anything material or otherwise. It was his close circle of friends who knew anything private about him and he trusted none of them would ever say anything. He had called to tell them what was going to happen and to meet him.

Turning off the water, he reached out for a towel and wrapped it around his slim hips. The cool air prickled his skin, causing goosebumps and an involuntary shiver. Quickly grabbing another towel for his hair, Yami hurried into his room to pull on flannel pajamas and sleeping shirt. Walking out to his bedroom, he stood by the door to the balcony and stared out at the cityscape view for a moment, thinking about how unaware the citizens below were of the darkness that encompassed their city. Perhaps it was better that way.

He needed sleep. The task had taken much out of him, but it was done and he didn't have to worry about that particular group again. Drying his hair as much as he could, he fell into blissful sleep the moment his head hit the pillow. The last thought on his mind…

_Need to go back to Azure again._

* * *

It was taking too long. Seto glanced at his watch, watching the second hand tick all the way around the face of his timepiece. This meeting should have been over fifteen minutes ago and yet here they still were. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance as the woman, who was the head of his Research and Development droned on and on about her department's findings. Seto already had a summary in front of him. She did not need to spoon feed every single data point to him. He had eyes, and a brain. In fact, his brain was probably better suited to analyzing the data than hers was so why was he still here listening?

He stood up abruptly, startling her by the sudden movement. "Mr. Kaiba?"

"You obviously don't know the meaning of 'short and simple'. I don't have time to listen to you go on and on…you have a brain. You know how to use it, I assume. All these little problems, if you can't figure it out, you need to look for a new job." He gathered up the file she had handed him and left without another word.

As soon as the door closed, Seto forgot all about his R&D department head. He had much more pressing matters that needed his attention. He had gotten a message while he was stuck in his meeting with the Mistress of No Life (even though he really didn't need to be saying anything…his social life wasn't much to talk about either). _5 D UA P 4 A12 1430 ._ To anyone else, it was just gibberish but Seto knew exactly what it meant.

_5 D_ Meant there was 5 dead of _UA_, unknown affiliation. _P 4_ meant at pier 4 down at the docks near _A12_, warehouse A12. They had found the bodies at _1430, _14:30, 2:30 in the afternoon. It was code Seto had come up with, that all of his workers had memorized. There were different codes for different situations, all meticulously planned out so if any of them were intercepted, there was no way to figure out what they meant.

Instead of heading back to his office, Seto headed to his private elevator, making a call to his secretary to hold all his calls. Too many thoughts were running through his head. There were five of them and yet he hadn't gotten any notices about anyone other than his men down at their warehouse. His security system had been set up by Seto himself so he knew there was nothing wrong with it. So then, how did five men manage to sneak into his warehouse without tripping the alarm?

His men had better have an answer or else there would be more than five dead bodies. He texted the other back: AzB 2.00. _Azure Bar in 2 hours._

* * *

Refreshed from his nap, Yami had gotten up and dressed, trying to find a way to tame his hair. Futilely, he had tried combing it, hoping the spikes would lie a little flatter. No dice. He would never win. He spiked his hair so often that the strands decided to just grow upwards. It saved on hair gel, but when he wanted a change, it was next to impossible.

Giving up, he grabbed his leather jacket and pocketed both his cell phones. He had some free time now and what better place to go than his favorite bar? It had been a while and he missed the place. Maybe he would even be lucky to meet _him_ there.

There was no denying he saw the flicker of something in those icy blue eyes when he had pulled back after telling the brunet his name. Try as he might to hide, Yami could see a flurry of emotion. Surprise. Annoyance. Confusion. There was also a tiny spark of Lust. As much as Yami had wanted to stay and play a little, there was somewhere he needed to be. A pity, really. There was no doubt that he had made an impact in the few seconds they had met. It was evident in what the bartender had told him.

Outside, his motorcycle was waiting for him. Gleaming black in the fading sunlight, Yami pulled the helmet over his hair and sped off with the rev of his engine. Weaving in and out of traffic, he sped onto the freeway. Taking the local streets would take too long, besides, it felt nice to feel the rush of the wind against him as he rode. It gave him the feeling of being free, something he didn't feel often, especially doing what he did, even though he was afforded ample freedom. He chose which jobs to take, carried them out however he felt like, as long as the job was done. Despite all that, he felt trapped. The darkness was surrounding him, drowning him, and he didn't see a way out.

Shaking his head of those thoughts, he slowed down as he approached his exit. He had come to terms with his job and the consequences that came with it. There was no use feeling regret or whatever else was eating at him. He resolved to embrace the darkness instead of fighting it. It was a losing battle otherwise.

Zipping through the lanes of traffic, Yami pulled up to the bar. The warm glow of the lights within beckoned to him. Leaving his bike nearby, out of the sight of the normal flow of traffic, he shook his head after freeing it from his helmet. There definitely wasn't enough space in this helmet for his head, plus his hair. Maybe he'll look for a bigger helmet later…Maybe.

Pulling out his membership card, a pretty ocean blue with gold script spelling out '_Azure_', he flashed it to the bouncers. Making his way to the bar, his crimson eyes swept over the patrons that were here. Much of the same, to whom he nodded his greeting and who nodded back in return. They still had a bit of a disbelieving look when he stepped in. He wasn't dressed in any suit and they didn't know him from any of their business dealings so they were suspicious. None of them had the balls to ask him where he was from, though, just in case. Ass-covering bureaucrats. Oh well. It suited Yami just fine. The less they knew, the better for him.

"It's been a while, Yami." The bartender slid his drink across the bar.

Yami chuckled and nodded. "I've been busy."

"So I noticed. Oh by the way, the bar is going to close in a few, the boss needs it for something."

Yami nodded, his interest piqued. Now what could the blue-eyed CEO be planning, shutting down the bar for the evening? He placed the money for the drink plus a healthy tip on the bar and started to carry his drink to his favorite corner before he heard a very familiar voice. "YOU!"

* * *

Seto was been on his way to the bar. He would need the whole bar cleared before he sat down to his meeting. He didn't need any witnesses while he was with his other 'employees'. He had phoned the bar beforehand and ordered, demanded it be closed. Screw the other patrons, he was the boss. He had enough screw ups to last him for a while and didn't need any loose lips.

He was early, just to make sure the bar was clear before the others arrived. Disappointed to see there still were stragglers, he then noticed someone there. A someone he had been looking for. He couldn't tell whether his heart started pounding because his blood was boiling or if it was something else. No, it was because that bastard had the balls to just show up whenever he wanted?

"YOU!" Crossing the space in long-legged strides, Seto got close enough to see surprise and mirth sparkling in those mocking crimson eyes. "The fuck are you doing here?"

The tri-colored haired male smiled, even his smile was mocking. "_I trust you missed me?"_

* * *

**Author's Note:** So how was this chapter? Please review and let me know!

**Reviewer's Responses:  
**AnzuFan: Thank you for being my first reviewer! I hope this chapter was as interesting~

kiki2222: Haha, yes indeed. A sexy one!

Suki: Aww, thank you for the compliment! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

JustanotherReader: Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

__**Disclaimer:** I do not own YGO, just this story.

**Author's Note:** Hi all, sorry for the long wait for the third chapter. I had too much trouble deciding what I want to happen. I didn't want to rush this story, with so much of it still un-revealed. So, with that said, sorry if it's going too slow at some parts, I just want to be thorough. Also, sorry for the short chapter, I wanted to end it appropriately. Thanks again to those who reviewed! You make me so happy and brighten my day~ Keep them coming!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_Well, this is interesting._ Yami smirked, judging by the brunet's reaction, the CEO was unpleasantly surprised by his presence. There was nothing else to do by stay where he stood. He enjoyed toying with the blue-eyed businessman. His reactions only served to make the smaller male want to infuriate him further, made him want to see just how far he could push. Delicious shivers ran down Yami's spine and he felt an addictive heat race through his veins. Seeing the other riled up had that effect on him. Every nerve of his body was hypersensitive and very well aware of every one of Seto's rapid steps towards him. The electricity practically crackled between them when there were only mere inches separating the two. The brunet was radiating frustration, Yami could feel it. It was this boiling frustration that met and clashed with the cool easiness that the tri-colored haired male was oozing.

"Or maybe you are so excited to see me that you can't even address me properly," Came the more goading. Was that bristling Yami saw? Excellent.

"Your stupidity might be contagious so I will only stay long enough to tell you that you will stop with all this mysterious bullshit you're trying to play."

Mysterious. The smile on Yami's lips widened. "If you're so curious about me, why not just ask?"

"Don't give me that shit. You wouldn't tell me anyway."

"So what makes you think you'll be able to get information by _ordering_ me around?"

"Two words: bar privileges."

"Two words: VIP member."

"I'm the owner. I can revoke that if I wanted."

"Yet you haven't." Yami's eyes danced with mirth. He enjoyed their bantering, though probably much to the irritation of a certain blue eyed CEO. Now to really see just how far he could push. He leaned in close to Seto to whisper. "You're someone who always has to have the upper hand, always have to be in control. It's killing you that you don't have anything on me that you can't make me bend to your will."

A moment of silence. "You think you know me?" the brunet snarled.

"I don't think. I know."

* * *

Seto had never been this frustrated, or annoyed, by anyone. No, that was lie. There were others but never because of a leather-wearing, spiky-headed, cocky enigma who was standing before him at the moment. If he had less self control, he would've wiped that irksome smirk off the other's face. No, he had too much pride to let this…this…bastard get the better of him. So he didn't have much to go on. In fact, information on 'Yami', that Seto could find, fit a whole post-it note. Actually, it took up only the top half and included just his name and gender, scrawled in Seto's own polished handwriting. _Male_. Useless information.

Inhaling deeply, he stomped the frustrated feelings down, suppressing them, something he had mastered in his early years. He would have been just fine if the owner of the mess of black, red and blond hair had just kept his stupidly velvety voice silent. The words that spilled forth riled him up faster than pouring gasoline on an already blazing inferno.

"Your stupidity might be contagious so I will only stay long enough to tell you that you will stop with all this mysterious bullshit you're trying to play." The insults did nothing but assuage his own temper. The smug look, however, told Seto everything; Yami wasn't fazed.

"If you're so curious about me, why not just ask?"

"_Don't give me that shit. You wouldn't tell me anyway,"_ he thought and it slipped out of his mouth faster than he could think to stop it. Seto hated the way it sounded. It sounded…weak.

"So what makes you think you'll be able to get information by _ordering_ me around?"

There wasn't much Seto _could_ do to him. He was used to having those beneath me cater to his every need and whim. His brain rushed to try and find a way to control the smaller male. He used the only other piece of information he had on him. "Two words: bar privileges."

"Two words: VIP member." There was no hesitation in the response.

Damn. He was VIP. At least it was another piece of information he had, albeit small and rather insignificant; Yami was exceptionally wealthy. To become a VIP member at _Azure_, patrons paid a significant, even by wealthy standards, in membership fees. With the exorbitant amount came services deemed priceless such as anonymity and confidentiality. VIP members could make any business dealings within closed rooms on the upper floors of the bar and only the parties involved would know. Legal or illegal, it didn't matter.

With this tidbit of information, Seto has even more questions. How in the world did a scrawny runt like Yami get enough money to get a VIP membership in the first place? He couldn't have been more than 18, given his short stature and a very boyish looking face. Even so, there was a hardness that made Seto think he was wiser than his years. The only one to issue VIP cards was the owner. Did Yami know the previous owner?

Well, shit. Just fucking great. Seto cursed the old man who forced this stupid bar upon him. Now he had to deal with unbearable assholes, and he already had enough of those in his company to last him quite a few lifetimes. "I'm the owner. I can revoke privileges."

"Yet you haven't."

The smaller male was now too close; he was invading Seto's personal bubble. The brunet could smell the leather from Yami's clothes; warm, no doubt from the heat of his body. Amid the scent of warm leather, there were hints of something else, of something rather…wild? Dangerous? Seto couldn't quite place it. The words that spewed forth from the crimson-eyed enigma were equally dangerous. It described Seto too well and his automatic reaction was to be defensive.

"You think you know me?" This bastard knew nothing.

"I don't think. I know." Whatever retort Seto had expected, this one caught him off guard. There was a short stunned silence as Seto's normally quick-processing, genius mind slowed and scrambled for a reply. His normally rational and analytical brain suddenly acted instinctively. Before he knew it, his hand shot out and grabbed the front of the smaller male's shirt, jerking him upwards, forcing Yami to stand on his toes. Seto could feel some of the stitches on the shirt rip. Good.

"Bastard." The CEO's tone was dangerous. Quiet, yet razor sharp, ready to shred and slice. Mostly he only used this tone right when associates became ex-associates and partners became subsidiaries; right when he crushed the competition.

* * *

Yami's eyes widened the slightest bit in the atypical behavior from the brunet. From his new position, he was able to confirm Seto's favored brand of cologne, Hugo Boss. That wasn't a surprise. It suited the CEO: sophisticated, elegant but the subtlety of torrid passion, yet untapped, always came through.

Mischief danced through crimson irises. He wanted for the brunet's next move. Would he strike him? The subtle tensing and relaxing of the CEO's hand betrayed his thoughts. Yami suppressed a laugh. In the silence of the lounge room that blanketed the empty space, no one moved a muscle. A 15th century painter would have been tickled pink at the still scene.

The hum of a vibrating phone finally pierced the otherwise still air. Reaching into his pocket with practiced ease, Yami put the phone to his ear. The caller didn't need any superfluous greeting.

"Dark-Eyes Illusionist. Zero." A 'click' signaled the end to the call. With the call, he had two pieces of information and that was all he needed. The first told Yami where he would need to go. The second told him the time. It was all code.

'0' was code for _now._ All meeting times were told in 24-hour time. Midnight was considered 2400 while noon was 1200. With whom and where he would be meeting all had code names that he himself chose. Usually these code names held some sort of physical or emotional affiliation with the individual or group.

Yami needed to go. "As much as I would love to stay here and almost kiss you, I have somewhere to be." Without waiting for a reaction, he easily slipped out of the blue-eyed brunet's grasp and out the door. It was a shame. He had finally seen the elusive bar owner and he couldn't stay to chat. There were other pressing matters to attend but there was always next time. He could tell that the other definitely was not finished with him. That was just fine by Yami.

Jamming the helmet on his bed of messy spikes, he started his motorcycle and sped towards his destination, easily melding into traffic. As he rode, he wondered just what could have prompted a 'get here now' call.

Speculating wouldn't help. He would just have to see what the situation was when he went to see who he was meeting: one Maximillion Pegasus.

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**Author's Note**: I hope Yami's code wasn't too hard to follow~ If anyone has questions, please feel free to PM me! Anyway, I've started the fourth chapter so expect it soon-ish? Also, sorry I couldn't answer the reviewers, forgive me. I will answer them in the next chapter!

Please Read and Review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**Hey everyone! Sorry this is late but I had no motivation for writing for a while. Suddenly, this morning, the inspiration just hit me and I cranked this chapter out in a couple of hours! Anyway, sorry for the late update. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter~ Thanks to everyone who reviewed, your reviews definitely make my day!

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own YGO. Never have, don't think I ever will.

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**Chapter 4**

How did he manage to do that? Seto stared at his now empty hand, consciously flexing and relaxing his fingers. He was sure he had a good grip on the bastard's shirt so how in the fuck did he slip out of his grasp so easily? That made no sense to him at all. The fabric of his shirt wasn't slippery and Seto had gotten a good fistful of material. They had almost been nose to nose; so close he could feel the other's breath against his lips…Damn! What was he doing?! Any closer and they would have been not just swapping words but saliva as well.

"Disgusting…" he growled, though he wasn't sure if it was about himself or the fact that he let the other male get away so easily.

Whipping around to the other members who were still there, he walked past them, heading straight upstairs. No one else had anything to say. They knew better. It would have been very easy for any of them to go missing if that was what Seto Kaiba wanted. Anything that transpired in _Azure_ stayed in the establishment, almost as if it were a different world altogether.

Upstairs, the sheer opulence that was Azure came into the light. Chandeliers dripped from the ceiling every few feet, basking the hallway in a soft light. Plush carpeting lined the floors down the length, ending in a set of heavy, black double doors. Off to either side sat large mounted paintings worth their weight in gold. Some original, others replicas, since the originals belonged in museums. There were four doors, two on either side of the hallway, which housed smaller meetings rooms, all stocked with everything necessary to make any kind of transaction, business, pleasure, or otherwise.

Seto quickly traversed the corridor and pulled open the double doors. This was the executive room. It was saved only for the owner and his guests. Soundproof, bug-proof and with its own set of security measures in place; hidden cameras, face recognition, fingerprint recognition, retina scans. Anyone who passed through the double doors was photographed and catalogued. No one, except the owner had access to this information.

When Seto had encountered Yami the first time, he had immediately gone to check over footage from the room, just to see if Yami had ever been in the executive room. What he found was…nothing. The previous owner took all of the security footage and done who-knows-what with it. Change of ownership meant nothing. Only the owner was allowed to see what was on those tapes. If the establishment was sold, everything that had to do with the previous owner was taken. It was all to ensure privacy. Without the footage, Seto then went to check the database. If Yami had membership it meant that he was in the database, since a card was required to access any of the meeting rooms.

He had checked the database too and found, again, nothing. It was strange. Why had the previous owner done so much to keep the identity of one man such a secret?

Again, Seto had to shake the thoughts of the leather-wearing, frustration-inducing male out of his head. There were more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.

Five men were dead on his premises. Five men who were not a part of his company. Five men who were able to bypass all the security measures he had put into place. Yet, nothing had been stolen because…well, because they were dead. His team down at the pier was working feverishly doing inventory, checking and double checking to make sure that nothing had been stolen. Every report that had come in was the same: nothing was taken, everything was accounted for in the warehouse.

The brunet strode to the large black desk and took a seat, looking every bit the cold, calculating CEO that he was known to be.

"Tell me what the hell happened."

* * *

Yami pulled up to a large gate and pressed the buzzer. Not even waiting for an answer, he said "It's me." There was no want or need for frivolities. He had been given a code zero, which meant there was no time for useless chitchat. He knew what this was about, or at least had a very good idea. He smiled inwardly and knew that Pegasus probably wasn't too happy right about now.

The large gate rolled open, and he sped up the long, winding driveway, pulling up to an obnoxiously large mansion. Scoffing at the sheer size, he killed the motor and slipped off his motorcycle, pulling the helmet off and shaking his head free. Kicking down the kickstand, he hung the helmet on one of the handlebars and walked up to the double doors. There was no need for knocking. Pegasus' right hand man, Croquet, opened the door as soon as he made his way up to the door.

"Mr. Pegasus is waiting for you in his study."

Yami only nodded his head to the gravel-voice henchman/butler as he brushed past him, went past the foyer and up the grand staircase. He had been here enough times and had a very good mental map of the mansion. The mansion was quite the maze, no doubt Pegasus designed it himself. The man certainly loved his mind games.

Without even bothering to knock, Yami pushed open the doors and strolled right in. Pegasus was sitting at his desk, the whole room illuminated with only a few dim bulbs. Even in the dim light, the cascade of silver-white hair spilled around broad shoulders encased in red. The CEO of Industrial Illusions sat rigidly, ever present smirk on his face, not bothered at all by the rather rude intrusion into his sanctuary.

"Yugi-boy," came the drawl that sent shivers up Yami's back. He hated that name, he hated the tone to Pegasus' voice.

"You know that isn't what I'm called, Pegasus." Crimson eyes flashed with a rare moment of anger.

"Whatever do you mean, Yugi-boy. Do you prefer my other name for you, _pet_?" Yami had to hold himself back from wiping that disgusting smirk off the older male's face, and instead, sat down in one of the large plush chairs facing Pegasus.

"Why did you call me here?" He had an inkling but it was safer just to let Pegasus talk.

"Ah, straight to business as always. I've always like that about you." Pegasus stood up, hands clasped behind his back. He turned to stare out the large window directly behind him.

"Cut the crap and get to the point."

"As you wish, my dark magician," came the sickeningly sweet, yet deadly tone. "I believe you owe me five men."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Tsk tsk, you wanted me to get to the point and yet you're the beating around the proverbial bush. How naughty." Pegasus wheeled around to face the crimson-eyed male. His own eyes narrowed as he stared at the lithe body in front of him, always clad in leather, always a tease. That posture, even as Yami slouched, there was still an air of regality, haughtiness that Pegasus couldn't figure out where it came from. Oh how fun it would be break that arrogance. "Let me tell you, if you want to play dumb. Two nights ago, I sent a squad of my men on reconnaissance on a certain warehouse of a certain blue-eyed CEO we all know and love. I find out early today that none of them were left alive."

"It could have been anyone."

"Oh but I know you, Yugi-boy. I know you would do anything to hurt me. It's because of _him_…" Pegasus watched for the little twitch that surfaced. "You owe me compensation, Yugi-boy."

"That isn't going to happen."

"Oh well, then I suppose I could ask _him_, now couldn't I..yes I think he would be simply delicious if I gobbled him up." The only way to crack a façade, to crack any armor was to find a weak point. Pegasus knew Yami's weak point and exploited it well.

"NO! Don't you dare touch him!" Yami was out of his seat, for once, a sense of fear washing over him. He couldn't let that happen. He had to protect him. "I'll..I'll compensate."

Pegasus smirked and walked around the desk, he had him right where he wanted him. Leaning in until they were face to face, Pegasus murmured, "Now that wasn't so hard was it, Yami, is that what you are calling yourself now?" A chuckle. "You know how to make it up to me, don't you? I may look calm but rest assured, I am quite angry with you."

He grasped Yami's chin, tilting it upwards. He saw fear, anger, disgust, hate, spite all swirling around in those beautiful eyes. One could definitely get swallowed up in the depths from staring too long.

"I will destroy you." Yami's quiet voice was still full of resistance, still full of fight. It was how he was raised. The strong survive and he fully intended to fight, to stay alive so he could protect those important to him. This man in front of him, he would take out first the moment he got the chance.

There was the defiance that first attracted Pegasus to Yami. "I await the day, dear boy," he smirked, leaning in, lips latching onto the tender skin of Yami's neck. His hand already moving to slide up the smaller male's shirt, touching the perfectly tan skin, loving the way he caused the shiver that was running through Yami's body.

Yami closed his eyes. This wasn't the first time this was happening and as long as Pegasus held power over him, he was sure it wouldn't be the last. He had to be patient, he had to bide his time and wait for the perfect opportunity. If everything went according to plan, it wouldn't be long.

_Yugi…._

* * *

Seto Kaiba needed to shoot something. Better yet, he needed to shoot some_one_. He had, arguably, the best security team around. He designed most of the security systems himself, and being a computer genius, it was no easy feat to hack into his systems and shut it down, then program it to restart at a specific time. He was dealing with a professional but he couldn't, no, wouldn't admit there was someone better than him at hacking. No, he was Seto Kaiba.

Two hours of questioning and he was no better off than when they started. All he managed to find out was that the group who broke in had ties to an underground recruiting center. It usually was men, who were desperate for cash, went to be hired for jobs by the underground bosses. Usually they were sent on dangerous missions to infiltrate, engage in conflict with, or spy on another group targeted for elimination. It was dirty business but it was profitable. A man could walk away from a job a quarter million richer, given the right circumstances. With the economy stagnant, many were desperate.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and took in a deep breath. "You are all useless. Unless you tell me something of value, you are all FIRED!" He directed his pointed gaze at the leader of his security group responsible for Pier 4.

"A-Ah…Mr. Kaiba, s-sir…we..we don't know who it was but…we found this…" Reaching into his pocket with a trembling hand, he pulled out something tiny, and gold.

"What is it?" It was too small to be seen from far away, though to Seto it looked like jewelry.

"If I m-may sir…" the man stood up, trying to ignore the tremble in his legs.

Seto beckoned with a lazy hand. Legs crossed, arms crossed, scowl twisting otherwise handsome features, Seto tapped his finger on his arm impatiently. "Move it! I don't have all day!"

A small squeak came from the man who all but sprinted to where Seto sat and held out his hand. In his palm was a small gold stud. It wouldn't have been significant had it not been an odd shape. A circle on top with a cross on the bottom…

Seto took it out of the leader's hand and held it. It was heavy for its size so it definitely was worth a pretty penny. He turned it over in his hand. "It's an earring." Holding it by the stud, he stared at the design. It wasn't anything he'd seen before…or had he. Clasping it in his hand, he startled everyone in the room by standing up. "It was HIM!"

Without saying anything else, he yanked open the door and headed downstairs.

"_Yami…"_

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**Author's Note:** Please leave a review telling me how I did and please look forward to the new chapter...if this inspiration keeps up, I could have it out in a couple of weeks~ Until then, read and review!

Thank you!


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